Congress’ Pricing Claims on Rafale Deal Factually False: Jaitley

Jaitley said Rahul Gandhi’s allegations only showed how sparse his understanding of the issue is.

Arun Jaitley attacked Rahul Gandhi over Rafale deal.

(Photo: PTI)

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley attacked Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale deal among a number of other issues in his first interview on resuming office after his surgery.

Jaitley said Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against the NDA government only showed how sparse his understanding of the issue is. He added that the Congress’ statements on the pricing of the deal are false.

This (allegations on Rafale deal) is like a kindergarten or primary school debate, “Well, I was paying 500 something and you’ve paid 1,600 something”. That’s the argument being given, it shows how little understanding (Rahul Gandhi) has.

Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister 

Jaitley said that with what was negotiated from 2015 to 2016 and finally executed in 2016, and the escalations and currency variations, the basic aircraft price turns out to be 9% cheaper. “Is the Congress party aware of this?” Jaitley asked.

In a Facebook blog, he posed 15 questions to Gandhi and said the deal NDA government had entered into with France on April 10, 2015 for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets was on "better" terms than the one agreed to by the UPA government in 2007.

“I am asking these questions as his misadventure is impairing national interest and I hope Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party would respond immediately,” he wrote. “Congress party’s false campaign launched on Rafale aircraft deal based on peddled untruth has been casting a cloud on the Inter-Governmental agreement & seriously compromising national security,” he said.

Stating that the Rafale controversy was based on "complete falsehood", he said it was expected from national political parties and their responsible leaders to keep themselves informed of the basic facts before they enter a public discourse on defence transactions.

Jaitley said Congress and Gandhi were guilty on three counts - delaying the deal by over a decade comprising national security, speaking of falsehood on pricing and procedure, and further delaying the defence procurement by raising these issues.

Rahul Gandhi Gives Jaitley 24 Hrs to Revert

Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted to Jaitley, suggesting a joint Parliamentary Committee. However, he added that the “Supreme Leader” is “protecting his friend.” Gandhi gave Jaitley 24 hours ro “revert.”

In retaliation to Gandhi’s tweet, Arun Jaitely took to Twitter to say that the former had not answered his questions on “Rafale purchase in the interest of national security.”

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said vendors have to disclose how the offset contracts would be discharged under the defence procurement policy.

"For him (Jaitley) to say that offset is not part of the contract is wrong," he said and demanded a probe alleging that Anil Ambani's Reliance Group had prior information that PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would not get the offset contract.